


With a heart like yours

by SpaceMalarkey



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-19 05:31:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18131585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceMalarkey/pseuds/SpaceMalarkey
Summary: A collection of prompts from the Linked Universe Discord Server. Title from Belgrade by Battle TapesLinked Universe AU created by jojo56830 (linkeduniverse.tumblr.com)





	1. Your failures are mine

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by Katy: Wild feeling like a failure, Time and Wild bonding

The further they walked in his Hyrule, the more ruins they came across. One of the others would recognise something in them, another would sigh softly and get that look on their face.  
Wild hated that look.  
It meant something was wrong, it meant this Hyrule wasn’t good enough, it means he was responsible for it.  
He hated when they got so silent. Wild wasn’t by any means someone who didn’t appreciate silence, but when it came from those people, when it came from the band of the most obnoxiously loud people Wild had ever met, it stung. He didn’t need their approval, he really didn’t.   
However, something in his mind screamed and clawed.  
He needed to get some air, he needed to be away from them.   
He needed to leave before his life returned to what it once was, all those years ago.   
He could feel their expectations, the silence and their solemn expressions started to flood his mind and he felt hands around his throat.  
Not again. Not with these people. Please not with these people.  
A pained noise escaped him. It was a soft sound, but with the oppressing silence it might as well have been a bomb exploding.   
Several of the others startled, some looked up in confusion. Worse than the silence, he decided, were the looks of concern. He wasn’t worth those, he never was. He could feel his eyes blur and quickly stood up and ran into the forest, leaving the camp behind.

He could hear voices calling for him, but he couldn’t stop. Not until he was alone. Alone like he was supposed to be, he muses. Why had they come into his life? Why had they filled him with such hope and happiness, only to slowly become a source of silence once again?  
Was the goddess so cruel to give him people who could understand, and then take that away just as quickly? None of the others had failed. None of them. He was the only one. He was alone.  
  
Time was concerned.  
Everywhere they went he saw ruins, overgrown fields, broken down machinery of old guardians. He rarely saw people, and civilisations were far and scattered. He grew concerned when the others stopped speaking, he grew concerned when he saw the light of remembrance in their eyes, he grew concerned when they stopped joking.  
He was concerned for their youngest, so to speak. The newest of them, if he had managed to figure out the timeline correctly.   
He hadn’t shared this thought, keeping it to himself in shame and guilt. He had a good idea of what was wrong when they had all made camp, yet none had made space for conversation. The youngest had made such a terrible, hurt sound and then he ran off. He wished Wild didn’t have to feel the same guilt that plagued him, he wouldn’t allow that. He told the others he had this and walked into the heavy green.

It wasn’t that hard to find Wild, which made him all the more worried. The young one was usually very careful to not leave a trail. Now he had ignored everything, and it looked like he had clumsily thrown himself across branches and shrubbery.  
Time knew he was closing in when he heard the sounds of gasps and hiccupping. Sounds he never wanted to hear had reached his ears far too often for people so young. Wild was sitting curled over himself, trying to look as small as possible in the middle of the tall grass. He was clutching his arms tightly, trying to keep his crying as quiet as possible.  
Time made his way over, making enough noise so as to not scare the younger, and sat down in front of him.   
He needed the other to know. He needed him to understand it was alright, that sometimes a person wasn’t at fault for failing when all the odds were against him. Sometimes one person would fail no matter what because others placed the world on their shoulders. Sometimes they would die, knowing their death had doomed everyone.   
It wasn’t their fault.  
Time reached out and lifted Wild’s chin, meeting those piercing blue eyes with his.  
“Oh kiddo,” he mumbled softly. He wasn’t sure what to say to make this better. “I know”.  
He watched as Wild’s eyes widened with realisation before new tears flowed down his cheeks and his expression changed from hurt to utter despair.  
He tried to speak but couldn’t make a sound past the desperate gasps. Instead, he threw himself into Time’s chest and held on for dear life, clinging and sobbing.  
The elder wrapped his arms around him and rocked them gently. “Your failures are mine, dear cub” he muttered as he moves his fingers through long golden hair.

He stayed there until he could feel the younger fall asleep. He stayed there, hugging him until the sun rose. The boy needed it, and Time couldn’t help but feel that he himself needed it just as much. A kindred spirit, someone who understood.  
Even if the cost was too great.


	2. Young (and dumb) at heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Comic Sams: Time trying to ride Wild’s bike.

“So you have one of these Divine Beasts as well?” was the question that started all of this horseshit. In all honesty, he had no idea what possessed Time to ask that.

Legend had watched in dismay as the wildling kid had grinned with the force of a thousand years of bad ideas and knew he was in for a full afternoon of weird magic and shenanigans. Might as well set up camp in the exposed plains in the middle of nowhere, where every monster for miles would spot their campfire and come running for a treat. Honestly, sometimes he wondered if he was the only one with any survival skills at all. Wild would be the closest to a godsend if he actually stayed serious for more than the time it took to cook or hunt food. Or kill ridiculously huge and scary monsters.

Legend turned to observe the so-called leader of this little gaggle. Oh good, he was going to ride on Wild’s hell machine. Splendid.   
He made himself comfortable in the grass and pulled out some fruit to munch on. Maybe he would get some entertainment out of this as well.   
Four and Hyrule had both taken their places on the nearby hill, for maximum view of the stupidity that was surely about to go down. Warriors, Wind, and Twilight had all decided they needed to be closer to properly observe the sheer stupidity. Honestly sometimes Time could be just as bad as the youngest of the group. Wild was tapping away on his magic slate like he usually did when he was excited for something bad to go down. And right he was, because there was a light a little further away from him and a small… mechanical horse beast appeared?

Time looked like he had seen something amazing because Legend for sure had never seen a look of mischief on his face before. He sighed and wondered if he had time to just leave them all here.   
Time jumped on what Wild called a “bike” and asked how to use it properly. Before Wild could explain, Time had grabbed one of the handles and twisted it on accident, making him fly off across the plains at a considerable speed. He was yelling, Wild was laughing and refused to tell him how to stop. The others joined in as soon it was apparent Time wouldn’t actually hurt himself too badly and Wind was taking pictures with his red and yellow box.

After a hopeless long while where Twilight had attempted to chase Time down in wolf form to help him stop, Wild had shown them all how you were supposed to ride the bike. He immediately spun around, drove around on only one wheel and did several jumps. He had stopped when he heard one of their stomachs growling and immediately removed the bike in favor of cooking them dinner.

  
They were all sitting around the fire, sharing jokes and laughs like normal until Legend found the old man to be too quiet. Suspiciously too quiet.   
“What are you thinking about?” he warily asked. Wait for it.  
Time turned to him with a grin that promised boyish shenanigans.

“Im gonna make that jump” he said.  
There it is.   



	3. I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Tru.khaos: Time and Twi hugging

He honestly hadn’t expected this. He had though a ranch hand would be able to withstand more than just a few bottles.   
Time had taken his protégé to the milk bar for some adult delights, and here he was, dealing with an overly drunk Twilight, who was currently hunched down and making baby noises at cats in the alley. He had attempted to touch the same furious cat for about 20 minutes and all attempts by Time to stop him from getting his hand scratched to bits had failed. There was only one more thing he hadn’t tried.   
With a huge sigh, he made his way over to the younger and slid his arms around his waist, before heaving him up and carrying him away.   
Twilight went completely limp in his grip and seemed to enjoy the sensation.   
Time adjusted his grip so that he could carry the other over his shoulder. Honestly the boy was so filled with muscles and he was heavy. He made his way to the inn where the others were sure to be getting ready for bed. Twilight made happy noises and dangled contentedly.

Adjusting someone from your shoulders to your arms, it turned out, was quite the task. Especially when your coordination suffered from alcohol consumption. Maybe he shouldn’t have thought Twilight was such a lightweight after all, when he had simple problems like this. He barely managed to get in the door before he fell on the bed, Twilight giggling drunkenly on the way down. Time groaned. At least they hit the bed.   
He sat up and looked down at the younger, who had flushed cheeks and a lay grin on his face.

“Honestly, what am I to do with you,” Time chuckled. “You can’t even hold your liquor.”  
The younger just stuck his tongue out at him, like the huge baby he was. It was cute.   
Time reached out a hand and ruffled Twilight’s hair.   
Really cute.

The action must have spurred something in him, because Twilight sat up and hugged his mentor tightly, leaning fully on him.   
“What are you-“ he was cut off by a mumble from his shoulder.   
“I’m so glad you’re here”. More cuddling, rubbing his face in his shoulder. “I don’t wanna be alone.”

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the loneliness he had felt most of his life. Maybe it was the fact that this wonderful boy, his successor, had felt the same crushing loneliness that he had. Maybe it was he alcohol. Time would later blame the alcohol.   
He hugged back as tight as he could and stifled a sniffle.   
Totally the alcohol.

 


End file.
